People Watching
by ellibobelli
Summary: Canon - but Jazzy doesn't need to know that. Just let the unusual feelings that Edward is sending at him be his hints.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

We'd just moved to a new town, the ten of us. Now that we'd all 'gone through college' and Renesmee looked old enough to be in high school herself, we decided it was time to move on. Carlisle settled on moving to Chicago this time - it had enough average overcast days, and it had plenty of shopping, so I was happy. Jake came along too. He was part of our family now.

Jasper was much more comfortable being around humans, now, also, so it was nice to move to a larger city. Although I would hardly call the new school we were attending "large" – it had a small number of around 500 people all together, with it being on the edge of a tiny suburb and all. Woods surrounded it on basically all sides – the hunting wouldn't be all too fabulous, though, considering the animals would shy away from all the human activities.

I sighed and shifted uneasily in the leather chair of the Volvo. Edward was driving, with Bella up front, and Jazz and I in back. Nessie rode with Jake, and Esme and Carlisle ran ahead to get a head start on the house. Rose and Emmett drove the moving truck, against Rose's complaints. The rest of the cars were already there, thanks to some thoughtful planning ahead of time.

I leaned into Jasper's side, snuggling close. He grabbed my hand and squeezed it, spreading a wave of calm air through the car. Oh, how I love Jasper's amazing gift…And him, too. Yeah. Jasper is pretty marvelous, also.

"Marvelous, Alice? I think that's a first," Edward said abruptly from the driver's seat. Bella and Jasper snickered as I frowned.

"Yes, well. I would appreciate it if you didn't go through my brain for your own sick entertainment. That's what Bella's few thoughts are for," I said to the smug Edward.

His expression turned from arrogance to shock in point six-seven-three seconds. "Alice, that was uncalled for," Edward's tone was oddly formal and thick, and it held a tint of a menacing growl. He scowled at me, using the mirror to glower thoroughly, and attempted to prove his point.

"And how was that uncalled for?" I asked, feigning curiosity.

Bella rolled her eyes and slouched in her seat, smirking. "It's not that difficult to understand, Ali,"

"Bella, Bella, Bella, dear. You need -"

A vision cut me off from the real world. It was only an image – Edward's arm was wrapped around Jasper's waist, and he was smiling hugely. Jasper looked uncomfortable, with his face contorted in disgust and alarm. I could even see the sparkle in Edward's eyes – it was an act of humor, but why?

Then I saw Emmett's face appear behind the anomalous couple. Ah, it all made sense. Emmett was frozen in time, laughing, and I knew instantaneously that this was his doing. They were in a normal high school cafeteria, and a few students loitered around Jazz and Edward with confused glares.

So there was a plan brewing in the next car over.

Jasper nudged me, breaking me of my trance. Edward was laughing, with his head thrown back and his eyes closed; Bella was tensed – it was a natural action to her, considering she drove so much with Edward when she was human. Jasper and I didn't even flinch at his act; Edward was a good driver. He didn't even swerve in his hysteria.

_I'm assuming Emmett will be behind this._

Edward nodded and turned his attention back to the road. Bella relaxed, as did the rest of the atmosphere.

Oh. Jasper.

"Keep it quiet, Alice," Edward said softly, right as I was opening my mouth to speak.

"Of course, Edward! Even I enjoy a good laugh at other people's expense every couple hundred years," I could feel the air in the car become quizzical; I assumed Jasper and Bella were trying to figure out what Edward and I's conversation was about.

"Alice? Care to explain?" Jasper asked in his pliable Southern accent after a moment. I shook my head and felt him sigh underneath me.

Oh, Jazz. If only you knew.

Edward chuckled, which caused exasperated sighs to erupt from Bella and Jasper. "Alice, really. Sometimes your gift is so annoying," Jasper said as he kissed the top of my head. I giggled at him.

A comforting silence fell gracefully over the car, leaving everyone to their own thoughts – in a way, of course. Edward would probably be listening.

I took the time to consider this vision: it was definitely Emmett's eccentric plan. Only Emmett would be able to think of something so morbidly hilarious. And it had to do with Jasper…and Edward? I didn't find their pose, in any way, offensive. The gleam in Edward's eyes and the cackling Emmett turned any suspicious thoughts of mine to ones of mere curiosity. The only conclusion I could come up with was that Edward was acting like Jasper's ga-

"Alice! I will not take part in this!" Hah. Figures he would be opposed to good-natured fun.

"Don't worry, Edward. I have to outline out the details with Emmett, anyway. How long until we arrive?" The relaxed car became frustrated as Jasper sent out annoying rays.

"Not too long, probably. An hour or so," I sighed with relief at that – I don't know how long I could have lasted without talking to Emmett in private.

The rest of the ride was fairly silent – Bella and Edward talked briefly to Nessie and Jake on the phone, while Jazz and I enjoyed the slurring scenery outside. Butterflies started to flutter in my stomach when the first few buildings of the Chicago skyline appeared out the window, sketching across the sky in blurry rectangles. Rose, Bella, and I will most definitely be taking a shopping trip tonight.

We turned onto a small road, entering the city "for real." I squealed with excitement and pressed my nose against the frosty window.

Ten minutes passed.

"Edwardddd!" I trilled after an extremely long wait in the big-city traffic. This was something I would have to pass on; although, I would miss driving my amazing yellow Porsche…

"I'm going as fast as I can, Alice. Hold your horses," Edward grumbled. He was just as peeved as I was.

"I don't own horses."

"Would you like to?" Jasper whispered in my ears as I pouted. Without smiling, I shook my head. Horses were dirty and messy.

Another ten minutes passed.

"Edwardddd!"

"Twenty minutes, Alice."

This time I changed it up and made it five.

"Edwar-"

"We're here, Alice,"

I screamed with excitement, causing Jasper to jump and Edward to skid to a harsh stop. Bella only laughed. She knew me too well.

I bounded out of the Volvo, probably denting or scratching it or something since Edward growled softly and, and went to meet Carlisle and Esme, who were waiting on the front porch.

I have to say, the house was beautiful. It was modern, sleek, but held that ancient kind charm that we all loved. It was brown, made of bricks and washed-out rocks. It reminded me of a cottage, only ginormous. And like our house in Forks, there was a giant wall of windows that extended through the top floor. Woods bordered the house, the trees looming over the roof, dropping dead leaves that spun through the air slowly.

Ohmygod, so amazing.

"Esme, it's gorgeous!" I said to her as I slipped by, walking through the front door. The inside was spectacular – fresh, crisp white paint covered the walls, with huge bookcases cluttering all around the room. A small fireplace was nestled in the corner, and a TV hung along the wall. I assumed this was all the living room – attached was a tiny kitchen and table, and then a study, which had more books (Bella), and a piano (Edward).

The stairs were opposite the TV and couch – there were three floors.

I walked upstairs quickly, and chose the room that I wanted – it had the largest closet, of course. I then hurried back downstairs - the glamour of the house had momentarily distracted me of the need to talk to Emmett.

He was just barely out of the truck – apparently, it took them longer than us to arrive – when I tackled him. "Whoa, Alice. Calm down. No need to kill me on our first day here,"

I scoffed at him, rolling my eyes. "We have to talk. I had this vision, and Jasper and Edward are doing something and you're in the background and-"

Emmett bellowed a laugh that made the birds scatter from the branches. "Really, now? And when did you see this?"

"A couple of hours ago, in the car,"

Emmett chuckled again, so I kicked him. "Emmett! This is serious!"

"Sure it is, Alice. What exactly did you see?" I was aware that the rest of the family was eavesdropping by this point.

"Come inside, Em. It'll be easier to talk," I shot an intense glare at my family; Edward only snorted, wrapping his arm around Bella.

Emmett sighed as I grabbed his hand and dragged him inside.

_Edward, follow,_ I commanded in my head.

I heard Edward falling into step behind Emmett and I – Em was pulling against me, so I was having difficulty literally dragging him up the two flights of stairs. "Emmett, try to be cooperative. I know that you haven't _really_ thought of the plan yet, but you'll see. So, please? For me?" I whimpered as we took a small break at the top of the first flight.

Emmett smiled hugely and nodded. "Good," I said. He followed me up the next flight without complaint.

We entered my room – it was already painted a light pink, and the closet was half full. Hm. I didn't notice that before. Esme must have known that I would want to have the giant closet. There was a small bed in the center and a desk with a laptop next to it. This all faced the window, which gave a breathtaking view of the scenery outside.

Closing the door, I flounced down on the bed and smiled at Edward and Emmett. "So, Emmett must have idly been thinking about Jasper while we were in the car – I had this amazing vision about something we could do,"

Edward huffed and leaned against the wall. "Cooperate, Edward." I warned. "Anyway, here's what happened…"

I continued to outline my vision, explaining every detail. Emmett's grin only got wider and wider with every word, and Edward…well, he was being Edward. I also included a mild summary of how I was planning to approach this vision.

"So, you in?" I asked both of them when I finished elucidating my blueprints.

"Hell, yeah!" Emmett roared and pumped his fist into the air. I giggled as we both turned to Edward, expectant.

He looked as if he was having a very deep internal battle with himself – his expression kept changing and his eyes grew darker. Finally, though, he sighed, cleared his throat, and looked up at me.

"I'm in,"

**xxx**

**Wow. Two updates in two days. Hah! Anyway, this is a really random fic that my friend wanted me to write. So, I did. It's, obviously, a multi-chapter fic, with Jasper as one of the lead characters. Yes! I love Jazz. **

**But I don't mean this to be offensive in any way at all to any person at all - this is for future chapters, mkay? Yeah? Cool.**

**Um, yeah. Review, please. Take a wild guess at what the plot will be, if you want. I want to hear theories! :D**

**Elli**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

It was later that night, after when Edward, Emmett and I had conversed about our super awesome secret plan of making Jasper feel rather awkward the next day. Jazzy and I were sitting on the couch, idly watching the giant TV – I wasn't sure what was on, to be honest. Something about how a girl electrocuted herself while fixing a toaster with a knife.

Esme was putzing around the house, making everything perfect, Carlisle was working, and I didn't want to know what Edward, Bella, Emmett and Rose were doing in their rooms – the doors was closed, and I didn't dare look into the future.

I made that mistake before.

Shuddering, I laid down, putting my head on Jasper's lap. He smiled down at me warmly, his golden eyes twinkling. Oh, Jasper. If you only what you were in for. I snickered under my breath.

"Alice, I can feel your excitement. What are you so silly about? You've been acting weird ever since you got that vision in the car," Jasper cocked his head to the side - so cute! - waiting for an answer.

Of course, I couldn't tell him. But I _was_ tempted.

"Jasper, I don't think you can handle this secret. It's quite intense – and, besides. If I tell you, I might just have to kill you. Then this whole thing would be no fun at all," I answered lightly, toying with the hem on his name brand sweater.

"Well, that's vague," Jazz responded softly.

"I can offer some advice, if you'd like," Jasper nodded, looking as if he was really worried about what I was going to say. I didn't blame him. "Flee, Jasper. Flee for your life," I said it ominously, eerily, quietly, narrowing my eyes for affect. It was one of those moments that happens when you're telling scary stories around a campfire - with a flashlight illuminating your face, and your voice all spooky.

Jasper shook his head and sighed. "I'm going to go hunting. Would you like to come with so you can propose more great advice? Or am I practiced enough to go out alone?"

Laughing, I stood up, stretching unnecessarily. "Maybe you should never come back, Jazz. Flee, remember?" I swept down to kiss his cheek, then gave him one to his lips. He hummed in contentment, and, after flashing me with his brilliant smile, vanished out the door.

The rest of the night passed uneventfully.

I decided to watch the sunrise the next morning, even though I could see what it would look like in my visions. Even so, I liked watching the mutely bright rays of the orange sun mixing with the iridescent lights of the big city. It gave an odd glow, which was so pretty to eyes that could actually see it. The air pollution got in the way for the humans, I'm sure.

I didn't want to go to school; starting over high school, for, literally, the fiftieth time in over a hundred years sucked. But, even without my nifty little gift of knowing the future, I could tell today would be fun. This school had oddly quirky students, ones that wouldn't be afraid to approach us, the intimidating, gorgeous new students.

I was sitting with my legs against my chest, my head resting on knees and my arms wrapped around my shins, when I head cumbersome footsteps glide in from behind me. It was Bella – she had an unusual way of running; graceful, but it was heavy. It would sound almost human if she wasn't running so fast.

I didn't tear my eyes from the radiant sky when she swiftly sat down next to me. "Hey, Bella,"

"Hey," she said, following my gaze to the warm sky. I quickly scanned through the future to see if this was something important – she was planning on saying something relatively imperative, but I couldn't see what it was. She kept changing her mind.

"Bella, get on with it. You keep changing your mind about what you're going to say,"

Bella sighed and fidgeted slightly, clutching and un-clutching her fists. "I'm…just worried about Edward. He hasn't been acting like himself, and it all started when you had that vision," she said it quickly, murmuring so only a vampire could understand her rapid words.

But I knew where this was going. I had told Edward to mentally prepare himself for today – he may be a good actor, but if he isn't into the part, then the whole plan would be screwed.

"Don't worry about it, Bells. I'm sure it'll blow over soon enough. Actually, I can guarantee it."

I couldn't, really. There was a reason why I didn't want Nessie and Jake to know about Edward, Emmett, and I's "bright idea," as we called it. They would get in the way of the vision, and then I wouldn't be able to see how the Bright Idea would play out.

And this was exactly what happened. I sighed mentally, but gave Bella forced smile.

She smiled warily back, and said, "School will be starting soon. Are you riding with Edward and I? We want to stay inconspicuous for our first couple of days."

I nodded and stood, Bella following suite. We ran back in silence, parting ways in the house to get ready for our first day of Sophomore year.

Huzzah.

I changed in a blur, hardly noticing when Rose asked about which shoes she should wear, or when Bella asked how she should wear her hair.

I was feeling extraordinarily pensive – I blamed it on the sunrise.

Around seven, Jasper, Bella, and I piled into Edward's shiny Volvo, with Emmett and Rose driving Rose's convertible. The weather here was actually moderately nice, so a car with its top down was completely possible.

My pensive mood died down by the time we reached the small school, thank goodness. I don't think that I could last another minute of the almost painful silence that was ringing through the car.

Edward pulled into an open spot in the tiny parking area, and Rose pulled in next to us. Emmett was out of the car first, obviously stoked for the first day. Emmett's so weird.

Bella and I took our time getting out, though, much to the dismay of the guys; I was perfecting my look and hers at the same time, considering I was all spaced out while getting ready that morning. When we finally emerged from the car, people were already starting to stare at us with wide eyes. They looked like lost puppies.

We made our way to the entrance of the school, ignoring the glares that were appraising us so very intently, and found the quaint office. It was small, much like the rest of the school, and had lots of colorful artwork and signs that cluttered the walls and desks. Artificial plants and paperwork took up most of the room on the desk that split the room in half. The walls were white, but I assumed the school colors were purple and gold since most everything were in those two…disgustingly ugly colors.

Ew.

"We're the new students," Edward said smoothly to the secretary – she was visibly gawking at us. Er, Edward. Bella frowned. "The Cullens?" Edward prompted. The lady, who had bright orange hair, shook her head and seemed to snap back to reality.

"Of course, of course…" she started shuffling through some random papers until she handed Edward a large stack. I sighed. Why didn't we just come at the beginning of the year? It would have made life _that_ much easier.

"Here are your schedules, maps, etc. If you need any help, I'm Ms. Cope. Just come stop by," she smiled warmly in Edward's direction and sent us on our way by the signaling of a phone ringing.

Edward and Bella had all their classes together as did Jazz and I. Rose and Emmett were Juniors, so they said a quick goodbye and made their way to, what I presumed was, the Junior hall. A couple of students stopped in the middle of the hall when they caught sight of Rose's beauty and Emmett's…bigness.

I laughed quietly at that and continued looking through the stack of papers until the bell rang. Student's began piling out from their classes, but stayed completely silent as they passed us. Oh, the wondrous looks you get when you're a vampire.

Jazz and I split up with Edward and Bella and found our second hour class easily – we had skipped first hour, I guess. Whatever. Second hour was History, followed by English, lunch, Anatomy, and, finally, French. Like I wasn't already fluent in that and ten other languages.

But, after many fruitless attempts of girls flirting with Jasper, and guys with me, and after lots of questions from over-nosy teachers, we made it to lunch. I made a visible effort to stay more or less distant from Jazzy, though I ached to hold his hand. No. I _had_ to be strong enough.

The hilarity would be worth it in the end.

The rest of the family was already sitting at a table that was nestled in a far corner, each with a tray of untouched food in front of them. They noticed us walk in when the a lot of the lunch crowd did – they started whispering urgently to each other, watching Jasper and I. Jeez. We weren't that special, were we?

I walked quickly over to them and took a seat, winking at Edward swiftly. Emmett caught this and smiled slightly. Perfect. We were all on the same page.

Jasper lagged behind me – apparently, at this school, he was _the one_ to have a crush on. Not Edward, since now he had the gorgeous Bella. And Emmett was too big, and Rose too stunning…so where did this leave me? Too small to be liked? I pouted as Edward chuckled, picking up on my thoughts.

Rose sighed and rolled her eyes.

The lunchroom filled with noise again, and the constant immature behavior of high school-ers began to unwind itself. We did our norm – talk in quick, rapid voices, and never make eye contact. Be as invisible as possible.

Well, um, the invisibility thing wasn't working out too well.

I saw it before it happened – it was more like movie. A group of girls were conversing about something, and their eyes constantly flickered over to the right. Then one of them got up, fixed her skirt – which was incredibly ugly – and started walking toward where the girls eyes kept roaming to. It was our table; the girl was coming up to Jasper.

Jasper would automatically say no, of course, but this one girl will start a riot. Lots of boy-crazed girls will make an appearance to Jasper today…and, hopefully, a couple of other special people.

Perfect.

I smiled widely as I snapped back into actuality, watching as the brave girl got up and slowly strolled her way to Jasper. She was smiling, blushing ever so slightly. Pretty, but not Jasper's type. No way.

"Um…hi," she said when she reached the table. Her voice was high and squeaky, etched with nervous sputters. I smiled warmly at the girl, inching away from Jasper ever so slightly. The girl's eyes brightened at my act. "I'm Tiffany," she said.

"Alice,"

Jasper nodded, trying not to make eye contact. Jasper was pretty socially awkward, and talking to anyone human could send him spiraling into his normal shy self. I nudged him under the table with my foot, my designer heel brushing against his worn out casual shoes.

"Um, uh…Jasper,"

"I'm president of the Student Council and just wanted you to know that I'm always here to help if you need it," Tiffany replied, looking at the floor. Her voice was confident, but I could practically hear the butterflies gnawing away in her stomach.

"Thanks," Jasper said, fidgeting in his seat.

Tiffany sighed quietly and turned around, walking back to the table of eager girls. I smiled. This was turning out to be just wonderful.

"Edward, I think we need to bring our food up. Lunch is almost over," I murmured nonchalantly after a moment of silence. Edward looked confused for a moment before nodding and standing up.

_Switch me spots,_ I added mentally at the trash can. Acknowledgment immediately took over his features as he realized he would end up sitting next to Jasper. He would just need to scoot the chair a little closer…

Edward looked at me wide eyed as I thought this. I merely shrugged and pranced back to the table, catching the attention of several male students. That made me happy. I may have wanted to stay inconspicuous, but interest never hurt _that_ much.

I took Edward's original seat, and Bella narrowed her eyes at me. Jasper looked confused, and I could feel it, more or less. Sometimes he forgot he needed to control his emotions in public places.

Edward trailed after me, but before sitting down, he leaned down and whispered something in Bella's ear. I couldn't hear, but she giggled once he finished. He _better not have told her._

Edward sat down and scooted the chair vaguely closer to Jasper, shaking his head at me. I breathed a sigh of relief, beginning to see another vision…

Two girls and a boy were slowly walking toward…us? Toward something, someone. The male lagged behind, looking flushed and awkward. Embarrassed. One of the girls was Tiffany, the other a friend that must not have our lunch – I didn't notice her when I surveyed the lunchroom walking in.

The girls were snickering softy under their breath, giggling at some nonsense. It looked like the boy was being forced to be with them…but there was something about him that wasn't normal…

Oh!

"Edward, what class do you have next?" I asked, snapping out of my vision.

"Anatomy, why?"

I smiled widely, looking at Emmett. Had he caught onto what I was thinking. His burly face was twisted in amusement, and he was barely suppressing a smile. Edward looked slightly ill, for a vampire.

"Oh, nothing. Jasper and I have that next, too."

_As do some other _very_ important people. This is turning out to be better than I thought._

Edward sighed a long breath as the bell rang. I squeaked in excitement, and went over to Emmett, quickly explaining my vision in his ear. He was eager as well, glad to know that our plan was falling into place so soon.

Anatomy sure was going to be amazing fun this year.

**xxx**

**Sorry this took a while to get out, but I haven't written much lately. Nutcracker just ended, and finals, so I've been pretty busy lately. But winter break is finally here, so that means - hopefully - lots of writing. I have no life over breaks. Haha.**

**The ending is pretty crappy, but I just wrote it, like, ten minutes ago. I needed to write something, and this fic was open. It's kind of a filler chapter, anyway.**

**By the way, this is dedicated to EdwardsLily, one of my very best friends. You should go read her stuff; it's pretty incredible.**

**And...review. Just review. I'm being to lazy to offer anything in return. :D**

**Elli**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

We walked into the Anatomy classroom, Alice and Bella chirping excitedly about some store downtown as Edward and I lagged behind. Edward was…being different, to say the least. He was rigid in his stance, very awkward, almost. And I couldn't quite confirm what he was feeling, but I was positive it was something I didn't want pointed toward me.

Alice sat down lightly next to Bella, and my heart dropped, almost automatically. Why would she want to sit next to Bella over me? I mean, she still loved me, right? Normally she would make sure I was always next to her…

Slightly panicked, I turned to Edward, who was watching the other students file in carefully. He caught my eye and smiled.

"Don't worry about it. I'm sure it's nothing. Girl talk, you know?" Edward said with a slight strain in his voice. I grimaced, nodding my head.

And then Edward looped his arm around me – er, my waist.

Not in the friendly, "hey-man-what's-up?" kind of way, but in the "hey-man-what-are-you-doing-tonight" more seductive sort of way. I shivered involuntarily as his grip tightened slightly around me.

"Hey man, what are you doing tonight?" Edward asked somewhat suddenly. He began walking forward, toward two empty seats in the back of the classroom. He towed me with him, his arm still slung casually around my waist.

Alice turned then, glaring at me almost harshly. I cringed away as she stood up and made her way over back to our desks. She snickered slightly under her breath as she eyed Edward.

Of course, I immediately blamed Edward; did she think I was cheating on her? Making her jealous? Not only would that be completely immoral, but it would also be fairly disgusting. Alice wouldn't think that kind of thing anyway. She would have seen the future, seen me with her.

Oh. A vision.

"Alice, what's wrong? What did you see?" I asked quietly, quickly surveying the room. I could tell that at least ten people, though their noses were stuffed into the pages of their textbooks, were listening intently.

Alice sighed loudly, looking angry. She studied her nails as she answered. "Your socks don't match, Hale. Again."

"Hale? Alice, what's wrong?" I asked, reaching my hand out to grasp hers. She jerked away as my fingers brushed along her knuckles, showing an expression of mild disgust. "Don't touch me, Hale. It's slightly repulsive."

"I'm sorry…that my socks don't match?"

"Why are you still talking? Can't I have a decent conversation with Edward without someone like _you _interrupting?" Her words stung me; I shrunk down into one of the chairs that were tucked under the desk.

I was shocked, and I didn't pick up any wavering in her emotions. Was she serious? My darling, beautiful, amazing little _wife_? She didn't honestly call me repulsive, right? She loved me for so long, and it was so sudden. Maybe it was a mental instability? She was in an insane asylum for a short period of time, correct?

No, no, no! This wasn't right.

It didn't register that Edward could read my mind.

"Don't mind, Alice. I'm sure her visions are in override right now. A new school, people. That kind of thing," he said soothingly, rubbing his hand up and down my arm. I recoiled at his light touch.

"But she called me repulsive!" I said, shouting in a whisper that only Edward would be able to pick up on.

He merely shrugged and turned to his notebooks, suddenly extremely interested in the metal binding.

I was officially confused, and it was probably bubbling over. There were times that I was so in tuned to other people's emotions that I didn't realize when mine were becoming open. Now was one of those times.

"May I ask where you're going to be tonight?" Edward said, not looking up from his notebook. He looked bored, but the feeling he was emitting was far from it.

"Edward, I live with you. You know what I do at night." I was vaguely terrified by the way he was acting. If I wasn't mistaken – which I'm sure I wasn't, because Alice had felt this numerous times before – there was a slight hint of lust lingering in the air around him. This wasn't good.

Not at all.

"So we're on for tonight, then, right?" He asked. He looked at me hopefully, but something was off. I mean, it was certainly awkward to have your brother basically ask you out, and even more so when he was feeling emotions similar to love – directed specifically at you. But he was confident about it in a way that made me suspicious. I almost thought he was put up to it.

I looked at him curiously for a moment before turning away.

He inched his chair ever closer to mine, the metal of the legs squeaking against the tile floors. I stared at the ground, wide-eyed, watching the chair move closer to mine.

"What's tonight?" I asked in a daze, trying to slyly move my own chair away from the absurd acting Edward. He noticed, though, apparently, and looped his foot around the leg of my chair, pulling me nearer until the edges of ours seats clinked together.

"I think you know," he breathed in my ear.

And the bell rang.

I let out a sigh of relief, glad to have a distraction. The teacher walked in, smiling slightly as he carried a large, silver tray. There was a white towel draped over it, covering whatever was underneath. As he passed Edward and me, he stopped. He turned and looked at us briefly, looking somewhat confused, then shrugged, continuing to the front of the classroom.

Creep. Even though it was probably _my_ confusion he was feeling, it was still creepy. Like, Edward hitting on me creepy.

"Class, today we dissect." He grinned widely as the class groaned in unison. "I present you with…" he removed the cloth dramatically. "a cow utter."

Sure enough, the utter of a cow was lying gingerly on the tray, pretty much grossing out everyone in the room. There were various comments that the class grumbled under their breath, some fairly crude.

"Why do we need to dissect a cow utter?" someone asked. I think she was the girl – Tiffany – that came up to me earlier.

"To see the milk glands, of course." The teacher answered, acting as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

There was a brief silence.

"Milk glands? Is there such a thing?"

The teacher shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe."

"What do you mean you don't know?" The girl who was sitting next to Tiffany shouted out.

"I mean, I don't know." He grinned again, chucking lightly. "You didn't honestly think that we would be dissecting a cow utter, did you?"

"What?"

"I mean," he reiterated. "that we aren't really dissecting a cow utter. Who needs the knowledge of what's inside a cow utter?" No one laughed at his idiosyncratic joke. Besides him, of course.

Edward sighed from beside me, and tapped his pencil annoyingly on the desk. He was anxious, and I was starting to feel it – my leg was bouncing obnoxiously and my fingers formed staccato raps against the desk, in time with Edward's pencil.

The teacher, whose name I didn't even know or care to know, started droning on about the skeletal structure of a cow, using the utter as reference, for whatever reason. I was staring at Alice's back, trying to decode her sharp and un-Alice like mood from earlier. She turned rigid suddenly, and froze in the middle of her doodling.

I recognized her having a vision and sat up straighter. After a moment, she relaxed and turned in our direction, smiling at Edward; I caught him grimacing from the corner of my eye. Alice threw a ruthless glance to me before spinning around to face the front.

What was _with _her? Never before had she acted like this - never before to _me_, at least. Edward didn't seem to have any answers, but I tried to refrain from asking him any direct questions. _He _was definitely being weird, also.

I sighed and looked at Edward, raising my eyebrows in silent question. _Alice's vision?_

He merely shrugged, more interested in his notes than he should be.

The phone in the front of the classroom rang annoyingly, interrupting whatever the teacher was talking about. He answered it, listened to the person on the other line for a moment, and then sighed, hanging up. "I'll be right back, class. Don't do anything stupid."

I snorted. What teacher would expect anything less from a high school classroom? As soon as the door slammed behind him, a dozen conversations broke out, filling the small room with quiet shrieks of laughter and very conspicuous glances in our direction.

"Edward, care to explain?" I asked under my breath, not making eye contact.

"Explain what?" I shuddered. His face was very near to mine, and I could smell his sweet breath fanning out against my face.

Wait. _Sweet breath?_ Did I just call Edward's breath _sweet?_

"Explain why you're being…whatever you're being!" I noticed that the rest of the class had quieted down, and all were waiting, with what seemed like anticipation, to hear the rest of our conversation. Edward didn't seem phased by this, but I was definitely feeling the eagerness.

Eager for Edward?

Stupid emotions.

"I'm not being anything that I'm not normally," he said, somewhat taken aback.

"Edward!"

"Jasper!"

Edward grinned crookedly as I groaned and let my head fall to the desk, cringing at the loud bang the contact made. There was a brief silence as the class took us what just happened. Weren't we supposed to be subtle, invisible?

"Hey, Hale!" Alice. Oh, Alice. Why was she making my life so difficult? Why was Edward making my life so difficult? Were they a team now, plotting to drive me insane? I swear, sometimes Alice hates me.

"What, Alice?" I asked, picking myself up and resting my head on my hand.

"Just letting you know that everything is set up for you and Edward tonight." She smirked at me and started snickering. Bella, however, looked just as confused as I did. Good. Someone was on my side.

"Edward and I? What?"

Alice sighed incredulously, dramatically, before talking to Bella again. I felt so oblivious, but from the glances Bella kept throwing at Edward and me, I knew I wasn't alone in this little game.

Was it a game? From the feel of it, Edward was having some very poignant feelings, most of which he was pointing in my direction. Was Edward…gay? Falling for me? It was an obscure thought, but I couldn't shake it.

The teacher walked back in, shushing the class, and started his lecture again. An uneventful half hour passed before the bell rang. I started gathering up my things slowly, trying to stall the time I would have to spend walking with Alice – assuming only that she was going to continue to be unnecessarily rude to me.

"Um, Jasper, right?" A female voice asked from behind me. I nodded, turning around. The girl who was sitting with Tiffany was staring shyly at me, Tiffany a few feet back, with a nervous looking – and feeling – boy. "I'm Nora."

"Um, hi," I said, shoving my hands in my pocket. Alice brushed by us, sneering. I sighed, and smiled at Nora slightly. "I should go. See you tomorrow."

I started walking out of the classroom, but Nora's voice stopped me. "Wait! I want you to meet someone…"

"Jasper, this is Michael." A dark haired boy stood awkwardly in front of me, staring at the ground. "Michael, Jasper." Nora gestured to me as she said this; I didn't like this Michael kid already. He was up to something. Or Nora and Tiffany were.

"Hi, Michael." I said, wanting to get out of the classroom. "Again, I should probably go. Good meeting you."

And finally, Anatomy was over. And, hopefully, this won't be what a normal class is like.

But as of now, it seems that it won't work in my favor.

**xxx**

**Alice is so mean to Jasper. Poor Jasper. Sigh. It's totally fun to write, though. Hehe. Anyway...**

**This isn't the greastest chapter, but, eh. I don't like it at all. I hope you do. And the cow utter thing? Yeah, totally a real conversation. Don't ask. **

**Review and...and...I don't know. I'll post sooner?** **Oh! I know! You can review for my newly broken toe. :)**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

I hated being mean to Jasper like that. It stung me to say the words, made my lips tingle uncomfortably, but I felt it needed to be done. For everything to go smoothly, for it to work, for our fun to be _real fun_, the students, faculty, staff, random people on the street even, had to know I had nothing to do with Jasper, and that I had no claim on him whatsoever.

So when the bell signaling the end of Anatomy rang shrilly, nearly causing me to fall out of my seat with surprise – something that is almost impossible to do with me – I had to take some extra time to mentally prepare myself and put on a mean face.

What Jasper didn't know was that, with my back turned to him, I held nothing but love for him. He was _mine_, and nobody, nothing, not even a goofy plan, could change that. It was almost painful for me, like going weeks without hunting and having a human Bella around, to re-create my aura around myself; from the lust and adoration to the hateful, sneering, evil Alice.

I brushed past Jasper easily, sneering, and swept my shoulder purposely against his chest; I felt the little spark of static, as cliché as it sounds, jump from him. I sighed as it ran through my body, dissolving within seconds.

Bella was waiting for me, standing awkwardly next to Edward. She was still worried about him, and his strange behavior, and I immediately felt bad for her.

Because I was the cause behind all the discomfort.

I smiled weakly at them, walking past to find my next hour class – French. At least it would be something I was be good at. I heard Jasper walking behind me, tracing my steps with his own. He had French next, also, of course. And I didn't know how long I could keep up with this charade, or how long I could stand the quizzical and hurt looks Jasper kept throwing at me.

The future wasn't looking too happy on that front.

I walked into the classroom just before the bell rang and quietly took a seat in the back row. I had already prepared myself of another class of hateful looks, sneering, negativity. He sat beside me, though he sat on the extreme edge of his desk, leaning away from me.

What? Was I the good smelling human that he wanted to hate now?

I sighed and opened the red notebook I had, pretending to take notes. I didn't pay much attention as the teacher called out verbs and scribbled nouns onto the board. I was zoning out, watching visions, thinking.

Maybe, just maybe, this wasn't such a good idea. Sure, it was fun, and I couldn't deny that, but I felt immensely guilty over it. I didn't want to think of what Carlisle would say when he found out, or how Esme would scold me – us. Emmett and I. Edward could get off the hook easily.

Emmett. I needed to talk to him. He would know what to do, where to take this little plan of ours. He was the one that thought of it, after all – whether he knew it at the time or not.

Finally, the bell rang. I jumped out of the desk, piling all of my books in my arms and shoving them into my bag, before nearly running to the car. I was the first one there, so I waited impatiently in the windy parking lot, searching through the new, and curious, faces that were staring at me. I was looking for anybody – anything – who looked interesting.

My sight was suddenly darkened by a bright pink piece of paper that had blown up to my face in the wind, clinging to it with the wind at its propeller. I pulled it off, frowning –

- though it didn't last long; Mr. Frown, meet Miss. I-have-a-totally-genius-plan-brewing-in-my-head-kind-of-grin.

The flier announced, in big, bold letters, a Valentine's day dance. Bring friends, have fun, be caught by the love bug! (Really. How lame could they get?) I bit my lip, trying to conceal the wicked beam that was covering my face, and folded the piece of, suddenly extremely important, paper, and shoved it into my back pocket.

Bella joined me a few minutes later, walking a great distance from Edward. He was walking with Jasper, though – and Bella didn't look too happy about that fact. Rose and Emmett were swinging their intertwined hands between them, just behind Edward and Jazz.

"Bella!" I said excitedly when she unlocked the Volvo. "Shopping trip, tonight!"

She groaned as she slipped into the front seat and, with more force than necessary, pushed the keys into the ignition. "Why? We just got here. It was our first day. A shopping trip is hardly what I need right now."

I sighed and slipped into the backseat. "I know, but there's gonna be a Valentine's Day dance, and it's already the end of January, so we need to get our dresses soon, and I really thought you would like to come…" I scooted up in the seat, leaning forward so I was eye to eye with Bella. I was pouting, pushing her weakness.

"We don't need to go to the dance. I had my fill of dance at prom," She said, crossing her arms and looking out the window.

I was totally winning.

"But, Bella! Rose will come, and I know she would want to get a dress a-sap,"

"Whining never gets you anywhere," she said sternly, turning to smile tightly at Edward as he climbed into the driver's seat. He threw a glance at me, sighing, and pecked her on the cheek.

_Careful, Edward._ _We don't want people to see you with someone besides Jasper, do we now?_

Edward glared at me through the mirror, throwing the car into drive as Jasper closed his door. I breathed a sigh of relief. I could finally, _finally,_ not have to pretend to hate Jasper.

"Alice. No. If I have to do it, you do, too." Edward said suddenly.

I wasn't fair, though! Jasper didn't deserve to have me hate him. "Stop listening to my thoughts," I muttered, leaning back into the leather seat. "Bella, shopping, tonight. Call Rose and tell her."

Bella rolled her eyes and called Rose, informing her of our impromptu plans. The rest of the drive was quiet, tense, Jasper filling the air with confusion, me with extreme dislike to him.

God, I hated this.

We pulled into the house a few minutes later and I immediately grabbed Bella, dragging her to my Porsche without even a glance at our beautiful new home. Rose followed suit, her stilettos clicking against the concrete in staccato beats.

"Bella, you will like this. You will not complain. Understood?" I said as I fired up my amazing car; it purred to life powerfully. Bella nodded solemnly in the backseat, gazing out the window. Rose had stolen shotgun.

I decided that we should go downtown, though it was further away than the little mall our town had to offer. We could get our fill of smog educed air and human scents; we would hunt afterword. Most stores are only open until ten, anyway – an unfortunate fact.

I drove fast, and got us downtown in half the time it should have taken us. After parking in a disgusting parking garage, and after having to pry Bella from the car, we found ourselves in a small, but cute, designer store that had rows and rows of frilly pink and red dresses.

I looked through the racks of clothes idly, throwing a dress or two into the ever growing pile in my arms every once in a while. Bella pouted along beside me, smart to stay quiet and accept the dresses and shoes I was handing to her more readily than I was getting clothes for myself. Rose was…somewhere, looking at something. I didn't really care to know because I happened to already know that she, specifically, had Emmett in mind – besides finding a dress.

I shuddered. Emmett and Rose was one thing I never wanted to see a vision of again.

She was following my instructions, though – I needed a cupid costume for Emmett.

I was debating whether to try on a cute, short, pink dress when my cell phone buzzed in my pocket. I sighed. Of course Edward would be calling. Shoving the dress into Bella's armful of other dress, I walked to a dressing room, dumped my stuff on the bench, and took out my sleek, new phone.

Oh, how nice money can be sometimes.

I didn't glance at the caller ID as I flipped it open, holding it up to my ear with annoyance. "Make it quick," I said curtly, too quiet for anyone to really hear.

"I can't do this, Alice. Jasper's thoughts have been driving me crazy, and he thinks you hate him, and he assumes I've-" I rolled my eyes and picked up a bright red dress that had sparkles and diamonds sewn into it, trying to decide if it would look good on me.

"Edward! Chill. Okay? It's going to be fine. I know these things." Kinda. Somehow, Jacob got intertwined with some parts of the plan – someone must have told him, or he's smarter than I thought he was for a dog – and now those parts were fuzzy, if not completely gone.

"You can't be sure." He said in a low voice, with an edge of a growl.

I sighed, deciding the black, strapless dress with the puffy skirt would look better than the red. "Sure I can. You just have to trust me." I tucked the phone between my ear and shoulder and started sorting through the rest of the items I dropped on the bench.

"Trust." He scoffed. I assumed that was meant to be kept to himself, but, either way, I chose to ignore his comment.

"Edward…" I didn't know what to say that held decent substance and a good argument. He had been skeptical from the beginning, and since my visions weren't working properly – something that was amazingly annoying – there weren't a lot options open to me. "Just hang in there."

Lame.

"What, are you quoting cat calendars now?"

I rolled my eyes and threw a blue dress into the ever growing reject pile. "No, I'm just saying that it'll work out in the end. And, besides, this is fun! I had _the best_ idea today, too, and I can't wait to tell you, and it'll make everything so much better," It wasn't a complete lie. I did have an idea – Rose was off in some year-round Halloween store, searching for a cupid ensemble that would fit the large-ness of Emmett.

"I don't want to be part of anymore of your 'plans,'" he said, emphasizing "plans" more than required. I could imagine him crossing his arms, his bottom lip jutting out slightly in a pout that he swore he didn't have. Bella would have thought it was adorable.

I was about to say something clever and witty, something that would force him to join me on the dark side, when I was stopped by a vision. I saw Jasper, walking leisurely down the hallway back at home. He walked slow, human pace, and nearly stopped when he reached the tall, wooden door that closed off Edward's room from the hall.

I kept a strong hold on the vision, sketching it in my mind; if it was moving that much, like a movie, it was going to happen soon. The clearer it was, the sooner it would happen. The clock mounted on the wall behind Jasper's head read 8:54; the clock mounted on the dressing room wall read 8:52.

I replayed the vision again, smirking, and suddenly remembered that I was still on the phone with Edward when he, angrily, called, "Alice! Wake up from vision land!"

I had to bite back the giggle that was bubbling to my lips. "Edward. Jasper needs some fun in his life. Jasper will laugh about this. Eventually. Even though Jasper doesn't laugh that much. Well. He does. Jasper…uh, Jasper will seriously laugh about this. Um, yeah. And…Jasper…" Shoot. I was running out of things that related to Jasper.

_Appropriate_ things that related to Jasper.

"Alice! Stop!" Good. Yelling was very good. He needed to be loud – he said he didn't want to part of anymore of my plans, but he was dead center, in the middle of one _right now._ If Jasper heard something through the door, something that would be related to the absurd feelings Edward was giving him, it help move this along a little more.

Edward just had to hold on until Valentine's Day; Emmett would take over then. Assuming this Michael kid didn't get in the way too badly.

"But….Eddddwwwaaarrrddd…!" I whined into the phone, tapping my designer shoe impatiently against the tile of the floor. _Click, click, click. _

I glanced at the clock – 8:53. Jasper was getting up from the couch, dragging his feet toward the hallway.

"Alice!"

"Eddddwwwaaarrrddd!" I moaned, grinning madly.

"I'm hanging up, Alice."

"No! Don't!" Excuse, excuse…I needed an excuse. Something to make _him_ moan. Maybe if I said Jasper enough… "Jasper…uh, Jasper…" I stuttered, wishing I could think of something more logical to say.

Edward sighed on the other end. I bit my lip, anticipating the next words out of Edward's mouth. 8:54. Jasper would be walking by his door right about… "It's always Jasper this, or Jasper that." He was yelling. "Jaassppppeeerr! Oh, Jasssppppeeeer -!"

Now.

Score.

My grin stretched bigger and I sighed a breath of relief. "Edward!" I cut him off from saying anything else after his moaning. "Got to go. Talk later, with Emmett!" I said, shutting my phone, and throwing it into my purse. I ignored it as it started to vibrate again, ignored it when it alerted me I had a new voicemail. Edward was a big boy. He could handle the newfound, strange feelings by himself.

I didn't look into the future, either, wanting to be surprised when I got home.

I was pulling on the black dress I had almost decided on getting when Bella knocked on the door. "Alice? It's almost nine thirty. We should go," she said softly, calling through the closed door. I sighed and zipped up the side zipper of the dress, glancing briefly at myself in the full length mirror before opening the door.

Bella gasped, and I took it as a good sign. "Alice, it's gorgeous. Get it!" she squealed, fingering one of the hems.

I smiled and twirled gracefully, extremely happy. "I think I will." I slipped back into the dressing room, pulled on my own clothes, and hung up the dress carefully on the hanger. I grabbed my purse, leaving the enormous pile of rejects on the bench and danced to the cashier, Bella following me with a dark blue dress in her hands.

Definitely a good choice on her part.

I paid for both the items, not caring about the price, and thanked the lady happily. I almost skipped outside, where I knew we would find Rose waiting for us with an armful of bags.

The look in her eye told me she had found what we were looking for; I smirked.

My second thoughts from earlier could be gone, because this little scandal just got _that much_ better.

**xxx**

**Guess what? It's 11:28 pm, and, after a four day weekend, I have school tomorrow! Yay! Sigh.**

**Um. Filler chapter with important plot points. Hopefully it wasn't too confusing, cause it sorta seemed like it was. And...OH! I have an experiement. Though I don't really write/post for reviews, I got curious. If I say this if/then hypothesis: **

**"If I get more than twenty (20) reviews, then I will post chapter five within the next two days"**

**-then I will get more than twenty reviews and post chapter five within the next two days. **

**Let's get some results by reviewing, my loves!**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

We decided to hunt quickly before going back home, so when we finally returned to our amazing new house, it was nearing midnight. I grabbed my single bag from the trunk of the car and ran inside before Alice and Rose were barely even out of the car.

I wanted answers from Edward. And I wanted them now.

I heard Alice and Edward's entire conversation when we were in the fitting rooms, I noted the way Edward was being awkward around me, I saw the way he acted around Jasper. There was something up, and I wasn't in on it.

Besides, Rose had gotten Emmett a _cupid costume_ for crying out loud! I knew that they were eager when it came to sex, but a cupid costume? I sighed and threw my bag onto the couch before beginning to walk to Edward and I's room.

"Bella! Stop right there!" I winced at how harsh little Alice's voice sounded compared to her normal tinkling of bells voice, and stopped, one foot dangling in the air, ready to step down.

"Yes, Alice?" I asked quietly, setting my foot down.

"Bella, dear, you are, under no circumstances, allowed to talk to Edward." She said sternly as Rose giggled under her breath.

"Excuse me?"

"You. Cannot. Talk. To. Edward. Understood?" Alice smirked and crossed her arms daintily across her chest. Rose began to laugh louder.

"Um, Alice? Edward is my husband. I can talk to him all I want." I said, glaring at Rosalie. She only laughed harder. I sighed and let my eyes fall to the ground.

"He's my brother before he's your husband, therefore I _order_ you to not talk to him."

I bit my lip as her words sunk in. How could I not talk to Edward? That would be nearly impossible for me – and Alice, of all people, should have realized that. "I'm your sister before I'm his wife. Therefore, I have all authority to not listen to you." I looked up timidly, fearing Alice's expression. But surprisingly, it had softened slightly.

"Do I sense some sibling rivalry brewing?" I rolled my eyes as Emmett loped into the room, a giant smile on his face. Rose's eyes brightened – and I felt as though I could throw-up. I didn't want to know what Rose was planning on doing with that costume.

"Don't worry about the costume, Bella," Alice said quickly, under her breath. "But you're right. You can defy me. But not until _I've_ talked to Edward first," she grinned and brushed past me, heading straight for...Edward's room. I groaned.

"Talk to your own husband," I muttered. "Oh, wait, that's right! You hate him."

I turned and followed Alice's path down the hall, listening to Emmett's obnoxious laughter bounce off the walls. Alice had already gone in, and, of course, locked the door.

I don't know why that scared me so much.

I bit the inside of my cheek, contemplating. Did I want to eavesdrop? Yes. Should I? No. I sighed and put my ear against the door – like I couldn't hear them normally anyway. They were practically shouting.

"…so stupid!" Edward was finishing something that he was saying.

"It was not stupid. It was _brilliant_." Alice was countering him. I smiled ever so slightly; it was clear who was going to win this argument. Whatever it was about.

"Brilliant? It was utterly and completely moronic! I can't believe that I haven't killed you yet!" I don't think that I've ever really heard Edward this angry toward his favorite sister. I closed my eyes and listened more.

"Bella, stop listening through the door!" I stayed quiet and didn't move. "Bella, I'm not stupid. I know you're there. Leave, now."

I groaned, shouting "I hope you're happy, Alice!" as I left. It was a nice night, anyway. Good for exploring. Maybe I could find a new meadow. (If Edward ever explained to me what was going on with Jasper.) Jake and Nessie were probably out there somewhere, too, hunting maybe.

I slipped through the back door, which led to an insanely large porch, decorated with chairs and plants and pretty flowers. I smiled when I smelled freesia lightly in the air as I walked down the couple of stairs that went straight into the woods. The moon was bright, nearly completely full, and cast an eerie glow on the unfamiliar trees. I began jogging frivolously, weaving through the vegetation easily. I felt a strange buzz, a tingling that rose from my toes.

I giggled at my rhyme as I banked around a large Oak tree, smelling the faint scent of wolf – Jake – lingering softly in the air. So they _were_ out here somewhere. "Nessie! Jake!" I called, speeding up my jog to a full out sprint. I followed the very memorable scent of Jacob to a small river with greenish looking water. I scrunched up nose at how repulsive it looked.

I stopped abruptly when a piercing howl cut through the night air. Jacob. I smiled and tracked the sound to just down the river, where Nessie and Jake, in his wolf form, were lounging near the water.

"Hey, Mom, guess what Jake found? He found the entire skeleton of a bear! Do bears even come out here? Anyway, it was so cool!" Nessie said as I sat down next to Jake.

"A bear? Bears shouldn't come out here, no…" They wouldn't now, with all the people, but that doesn't mean that they didn't at some point. A bear would be nice to hunt, though – better than the all too common dear. I sighed and began petting Jacob's rough fur, which was longer than normal. "Letting your hair grow out again, huh, Jake?"

He dipped his muzzle low in answer, like a unique nod, and I could hear, and feel, a content rumble come from his chest.

"So Edward's been acting weird lately," I said quietly after a moments silence. Nessie flung a rock out into the water and it skipped perfectly three times before it sunk. I waited until the ripples in the surface faded before I began to talk again. "I have a bad feeling that he and Alice are up to something. Not to mention Em and Rose, too. I think that Jasper and I are the only ones _not_ in the plan. Except for you guys, I assume…" I glanced at Nessie, but she had her face hidden against her knees, which were pulled up to her chest.

I groaned. "You know about it, too! So I _am_ the only!" I threw myself onto my back and laid on the soft dirt. I stared, almost distractedly, at the stars through the treetops. My buzz was wearing off.

"Jasper doesn't know." Nessie offered.

"Yeah, but Jasper hardly counts." I explained. "Are you going to tell me what this plan is about..?"

"Nope," she popped the "p", just like Jacob always did. I smiled vaguely at one of the memories, when he was telling me that he didn't get older, at the beach…

"And why not?"

Jacob whined beside me and I began to stroke his fur again. It was very soothing, actually. "Do you know about it, Jake?"

The silence was my answer. I sighed again and got up, deciding that Alice was probably done with Edward (I shuddered at how bad that sounded). "Come on, Nessie. We should get back." She nodded once and pulled herself up, using Jacob as support. I rolled my eyes as Jake whined again, also standing up. I was surprised at how tall he was – he basically towered over Nessie, let alone me.

"Come home soon, Jake?" Nessie asked quietly, stroking his fur unconscientiously. He gave his unique nod and rushed away in the opposite direction, leaving behind his werewolf – or rather, shape-shifter - scent. Nessie and I followed the river back slowly, relishing in the crisp and fresh breeze. It was a lot better than the city air, that was sure.

"The river is really disgusting, isn't it? I wonder how much pollution is in it. Like, people must just dump their trash into it," Nessie said as she flicked another rock into the green water. I could hear it hit the bottom, brushing along forgotten objects and useless things.

"Yeah. I don't particularly want to find out, though." I shuddered lightly; I _did not_ want to know what was floating down there, in the vile murk of the river. Besides, it smelled _awful_.

Nessie giggled suddenly and walked around me, so I was now standing closest to the river. I narrowed my eyes at her, but continued walking evenly. It was quiet for a few minutes as we strolled through the shadows, using the moon as unnecessary light.

And then Nessie pushed me into the river.

Honestly, I don't know how she did it – I wasn't expecting in the least, so she had the element of surprise, but I was no less than twice as strong as her. But nevertheless, she did. Somehow. Someway.

The water wasn't cold, to me, at least, and it wasn't deep, either. But it smelled like a dump…and I was dripping it. "Nessie!" I yelled as I climbed out of the river, my hair drenched and foul smelling, my clothes practically soiled. "Nessie, you are in _so_ much trouble!" She had already began to run, but I could catch up with her easily; we were fairly close to the house, anyway. "Renesemee Cullen! I swear, I WILL ground you!" I shouted as she dashed around a tree and disappeared. I could still hear her wild giggles, though.

I decided to run around her and catch her back at the house, when she had no choice but to deal with me. And Edward. I smiled at that as I sprinted back through the woods.

Nessie had arrived yet when I reached the porch again. I kicked off my soaking tennis shoes and socks and threw off my sweater, trying not to touch it. Alice would not be happy; she bought me that sweater at some expensive boutique in Paris.

"Edward? Alice?" I called as I as entered the back door quietly; the TV was playing in the living room, and voices were floating from the upstairs - which stopped when I called for Edward again. Footsteps flew down the stairs and in two seconds, both Alice and Edward were staring at me in disbelief. Well, Edward was. Alice looked ticked.

I sighed. "Blame your daughter." I spit.

Edward chuckled at this and then crossed the kitchen to where I was standing. "Our daughter, huh? Wow. Impressive,"

I gasped and hit him squarely in the chest, glad that I could actually hurt him as a vampire. "Stop laughing! It's not funny! Do you know how _horribly_ that river smells?" I shrieked, frustrated that he was taking Nessie's side.

"You know, I think I can pretty much tell." Alice smirked before leaving the large kitchen, which we would never actually use. I didn't miss the glance she gave Edward before she left, though.

Which reminded me.

"Edward, we need to talk." I said firmly, crossing my arms. "As in, now."

Edward sighed. "Bella, sweetheart, I think you should take a shower first -"

"I dunno, Edward. Another leap in the river should clean her all up!" Emmett boomed as he passed the open door. I glared at his back briefly before turning to Edward.

"Fine. Shower, then talk. Oh, and if Nessie comes in – ground her." I growled. Edward chuckled and kissed me softly before vanishing to somewhere in the house, which I had yet to fully explore. I decided that now seemed a good a time as any – I had no idea where the shower was.

**XXX**

**OMG! An actual update! And to answer any questions, yes, I am alive. :P I'm sorry that I haven't posted in forever, but, like I said a long time ago, I'm not that into Twilight anymore. Which reminds me: READ CITY OF BONES/ASHES/GLASS. Amazingggg! Anyway. I'm also sorry that this chapter is _so_ bad! I'm so out of touch with my Bella voice, it's not even funny anymore. I had such a hard time writing this. So please don't kill me, even though I know you'll want to. It's just so _horrible..._why am I even posting it? Sigh I dunno. Cause I love you guys. Enjoy it, because I don't know when I'll post next. Kay, thanks. :)**

**With love from your author, Elli. :)**


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